The Andrews Labor Government has released its plan for how Melbourne’s waste and recycling needs will be implemented over the next decade and beyond.
The Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Implementation Plan focuses on four priority areas:
- Reducing waste sent to landfill to prevent the need for new sites
- Increasing the amount of organic waste that is being recovered
- Delivering community, environmental and economic benefits through waste recovery
- Planning for Melbourne’s growing population.
The Plan encourages the development of new technologies capable of utilising waste from household garbage and also allows for the development of the first of these alternative waste technology facilities - reducing our reliance on landfills.
In addition, the Plan will also support expansion of the metropolitan organics network to allow recovery and processing of 600,000 tonnes of food and garden waste from homes and businesses into compost for farms, gardens and open spaces.
With food and garden waste currently comprising 42 per cent of municipal and commercial waste sent to landfill, this is a huge opportunity to remove significant amounts of waste from going to Melbourne’s landfills.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio
“Population growth means that waste volumes could nearly double over the next 30 years. To ensure Melbourne remains liveable we have to see waste as a resource and not just a problem.”
“The Metropolitan Waste Plan will boost recycling levels by encouraging the development of new infrastructure to recover more waste and reduce the pressure on new and existing landfills.”
“With proper management, we can get more value from our waste, while creating new industries and new jobs.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020